


Lost And Found

by Between_A_Dream



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst-ish?, Emotional, F/F, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Wynonna Nicole and Waverly are all family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 14:30:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16599692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Between_A_Dream/pseuds/Between_A_Dream
Summary: Maybe Nicole found the father she’s always wanted. Maybe Waverly and Wynonna lost the mother they’ve always needed. Maybe what they’ve found isn’t what they’ve lost, but what they’ve never had.





	Lost And Found

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!! This is an canon-compliant continuation of the events that took place in 3x07, so if you haven’t watched don’t read unless you want spoilers! This idea just randomly came to me and I haven’t written in awhile so it felt good to get this story out!! I was thinking about how we never got a chance to see Waverly and Wynonna’s initial reactions to their mom leaving after they found the letters, and I feel like Nicole should’ve been there to help comfort them, so I wanted to write something about it. Also Waverly’s letter is actually what her letter says in the show! I really hope you guys enjoy this story, lemme know what you think in the comments down below, and stay tuned for plenty of new fics and updates on other stories coming soon!!!

Nicole could tell even before she had put her cruiser in park that something was off. The homestead looked no different than usual yet still seemed darker, quieter, almost as if the entire property were in a state of mourning that contradicted the colorful bursts of sunset clouds behind the silhouette of the house. The neon blue numbers on the digital clock above the cruiser’s radio stood at a solid 4:41 P.M. and the sun was already well into it’s descent over the horizon.

There were a few different reasons why she was currently in the driveway of the Earp sisters, and for what had to be the first time such circumstances had arisen, more reasons for her presence revolved around Wynonna as opposed to Waverly. Her top priority was to deliver an earful about cheating during the drinking contest and express her frustration with the brunette woman. Her second was to follow up with an expression of gratitude, for standing up against Bunny and making her really feel welcome in their lives, even if they didn’t always see eye to eye. Nicole was fairly certain both these gestures would be dismissed by Wynonna and there would be no heart-to-heart exchange of feelings- That just wasn’t how the eldest Earp sister displayed emotion- But the harder-than-necessary punch of acknowledgement on the shoulder that the officer suspected she would receive in response was in her book just as good as a genuine conversation.

And of course, there was a less pressing but nevertheless imperative reason that Nicole was at the Earp residence, which was- Naturally- To see her girlfriend. The two had barely managed to sneak in a few words to each other throughout the day following their visit to the fire station, and though she typically wasn’t one to speak ill of others behind closed doors, the auburn-haired woman was practically bursting at the seams trying to contain the pent up rancor she felt towards the high and mighty Bunny Lowblaw.

Just picturing it- Curling up in pajamas next to Waverly in bed, fuming about how insufferable that woman had been only to be met with amusement and laughter from the younger of the Earp girls, then eventually joining in the laughter and spending the rest of the night binge-watching movies on Netflix and allowing themselves to forget that the weight of the world was resting on their shoulders for a few blissful hours- It brought a smile to Nicole’s face that she was unable to contain.

Before she stepped outside, the officer let herself glance at the picture of her and Nedley that she had tucked in the pocket of her jacket, unable to keep the corners of her lips from curling ever so slightly upwards. Whether or not the revelation that the soon-to-retire sheriff had been the one who rescued bed all those years ago would do anything to ward off her nightmares and the panic attacks that inevitably ensued afterward was uncertain, but for the time being it was irrelevant.

Against all the odds that had been stacked against her- From her negligent parents’ constant discouragement and doubt in her abilities, to being forced to find her own way of putting herself through the police academy, and even being haunted for years by never-ending memories of a massacre she was falsely told never even happened- Somehow she had ended up exactly where she felt like she was supposed to be. Back in the town she’d almost died in many years ago, lucky enough to be granted the privilege of loving an actual heaven-sent angel, entrusted to fight alongside the people she loved to send former criminals reincarnated as demons back to Hell so they could break a curse centuries old that had haunted the Earp name for generations.

And now, not only was she being promoted to the highest position she could hope to reach in her career, but she had truly found the parent-figure she had so desperately craved for years as a child, one that saw her not just as his best deputy but as his friend, his partner, and his daughter. After explaining everything like that, most people would’ve likely overwhelmed themselves, and some may have even left town as quickly as possible without bothering to turn back. However, as bizarre as the past year had been and as difficult as it sometimes got being unable to discuss such events with anyone outside of Purgatory, an oddly comforting warmth had settled in Nicole’s stomach, and if she were the kind of person to let her guard down so easily she would’ve described it as peaceful.

This outlandish, ever-changing path that would land her in a psychiatric hospital were she ever to try and explain to someone beyond the invisible boarder of the ghost river triangle not only felt right, but it had become her new version of normal. Somewhere along the line she had made a seamless adjustment to living in a reality that most people wouldn’t believe was anything more than a fairytale, and now Nicole was unsure that she would ever be capable of returning to a life without the ever-present threat of an untimely supernatural demise hanging over her most hours of the day.

It was the sound of a low, drawn-out howl from a sudden gust of passing winter air that startled Nicole out of her thoughts and grounded her back in reality. By now, the sun had completely set, and the only thing visible on the distant line of the far western skyline were the beginning signs of dusk. The clouds were now a soft steel blue, and the moon had crested over the east horizon, a prognosis of the deep indigo sea that would soon blanket the sky in waves of midnight and stars. Taking a moment to readjust her beanie and zip her coat up to the collar, Nicole removed her keys from the ignition as she stepped outside, returning the neatly folded photograph to the inner pocket on her uniform jacket.

The brittle air filled Nicole’s lungs immediately upon impact as a crisp layer of snow crunched beneath her work boots, and she watched as misty puffs of breath billowed out from her lips like smoke. Maybe it was simply the discomfort of the cold wind slicing over the skin that was exposed, but with every step she could feel the growing weight of a harsh, gut-wrenching energy that made Nicole’s muscles tense when she stepped onto the familiar boards of the homestead porch, all too aware of the wood creaking with the shifting of her weight after every movement.

She contemplated stopping to knock, but the knots in her stomach convinced her that it would be a useless task. Part of her job relied on her ability to assess a situation with limited knowledge, and if her instinct was anything to go by something didn’t feel right. Almost immediately after she swung open the aging wooden door, the piquant odor of alcohol greeted Nicole as a wave against her nostrils. Whiskey, without a doubt. Native to Canada, Crown Royal Black was a mahogany-colored liquor with the consistency of maple syrup that Waverly had once described the taste of by comparing it to the smell of a burnt, fall-scented potpourri bag, and while Nicole in no way disagreed, it _was_  the eldest of the Earp sister’s drink of choice, as was made clear from the smoky aroma of cinnamon and dried spices hanging like a thick fog in the air of the homestead’s living room.

The only lights that were visibly on were the ones in the kitchen, but the auburn haired woman could still make out a figure in the dark sprawled out on the couch. She didn’t have to investigate further to know it was Wynonna, but identifying the older brunette didn't explain why she was in such a state as this, currently either passed out or too drunk to acknowledge Nicole’s presence. And that wasn't even the most troubling element to the current situation, because it was only after she had a few moments to collect her thoughts while adjusting to the scent of what would be an inevitable hangover that the officer realized Waverly was nowhere in sight, and excluding the occasional chorus of moaning from the winds outside, the homestead was curiously and eerily mute.

“She left.” And suddenly everything made a lot more sense.

Nicole felt herself physically cringe at the sound. Uncomfortable seconds dragged on into arduously tense minutes, and still the officer remained frozen in place, unable to make herself turn and face the other woman directly. Her gaze remained trained forward but locked on no one thing in particular, rather as though focused on something in the far distance. She didn’t have to question further to know what Wynonna meant, but she was still trying to process if it was really true. Not that it was the most shocking thing. Against her better judgement and despite her efforts to keep it from sprouting, a small seed of resentment towards Michelle for having the nerve to abandon her daughters yet again began to take root in Nicole’s chest, but she knew this was not the time or place for such emotions so with everything she had she shoved her indignation down into the pit of her stomach to at least temporarily subside.

A brief glimpse at Wynonna she somehow mustered up the courage to attempt revealed that the brunette clutched in her hand a partly empty bottle of what Nicole didn’t need to look at to know was a bottle Crown Royal that earlier in the day had remained unopened, and she was cautious in approaching and kneeling beside the couch. Sympathetic brown eyes gazed softly into a pair of guarded blue pools glistening with the threat of tears that had yet to fall, and for a long moment the two women sat motionless, communicating only through their shared eye contact.

Neither were sure of how much time had passed when Nicole gently peeled the whiskey bottle out of Wynonna’s hand, and the dark haired woman didn’t attempt to stop her. Her fingers released the glass bottle without even a hint of resistance, and after gathering her strength she pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Wynonna was unsure if she let go willingly out of pride by proving that she was stable and didn’t need the alcohol to numb her pain, or if it was because she lacked the strength or the will to put up even some resemblance of fight. Either way, she was glad that Nicole didn’t attempt to offer her condolences. She didn’t need pity, because although she knew the taller woman would have meant every word of any apology she could have tried to give, even without words a mutual understanding had been silently acknowledged between the two of them. Both Wynonna and Nicole were all too aware that the one they needed to worry about was not the eldest of the Earp siblings.

The two of them stayed motionless for awhile with neither one bothering to speak, partly because the silence was the only thing that seemed fitting, but also largely because they already knew everything the other would have said. Nicole apologizing profusely because she wouldn’t know what else she should say, offering to help out in any and every way possible, trying to reassure the older woman that she didn’t deserve to be hurt in such a way. Wynonna dismissing every apology without hesitation, burying any semblance of emotion into the deep chasm in her chest, attempting to make light of the situation and make a few jokes in poor taste so she can hide her pain and her heartbreak behind laughter.

“Go,” Wynonna finally took the initiative to speak. Nicole’s head lifted to meet her gaze, and she tilted her head slightly out of confusion. The brunette reached down and took the taller woman’s hands in her own, squeezing gently. “Go see her. She needs you right now.” The look of protest on Nicole’s face was immediate, but Wynonna held up a hand and shook her head firmly to cut her off before she could open her mouth to speak.

“Nicole, it’s okay. You know me. I’ll drink some booze, I’ll shoot some stuff, and then I’ll forget about it and be good as new,” Nicole looked far from convinced, so Wynonna sighed before continuing. “When Michelle left the first time... That’s when I lost my mom. She wasn’t back in my life, not the way she was before. My view of her was already skewered. But Waverly didn’t have that. Back then what she lost was a mother figure. All she craved was someone to look up to, who could offer guidance and support, but she didn’t miss her in the same way. She didn’t know her yet. All she knew about Michelle was that she was “Mama.” But now...” the older woman trailed off, shaking her head and letting out a short, harsh laugh that was devoid of any joy.

“Now it’s totally different. She isn’t just loosing someone she won’t remember. Michelle got sent to prison the last time, but this time she _chose_  this,” there was a clear anger in the undertones of Wynonna’s voice, and she did her best to hide it, though it was obvious she was frustrated. Seemingly forgetting about Nicole’s presence, she stood up and pushed past the officer, pacing back and forth across the living room.

“She _chose_  to leave Waverly again, after all the shit she’s already been through! After _knowing_  how many times she’s been screwed over by her own family, the people she’s supposed to be able to trust! Willa treated her like she was a mistake! Everybody knew what Daddy was doing to her and then just let it happen! Champ never once bothered trying to take an interest in what she had to say! And I... I left her here alone... I made her believe she still had one person on her side, and then I got on a plane with the intention of never coming home,” there were now tears falling down over Wynonna’s cheeks, and her breathing had increased almost to the point of hyperventilating. Nicole sat staring at her with wide eyes, unsure of whether of not she should intervene.

“But at least... At least I know what I did was wrong! A-And I’ve been spending every day since I came back trying to make it right! I know... I know she’s more important to me than any amount of time in any other country around the world... And if I never set foot outside Purgatory again, s-so be it! If she knew she wasn’t going to stay why didn't she leave sooner? W-Why didn’t she just stay in prison where she belongs! She had the chance to reunite with her family after all these years, and still felt like it was more important to go gallivanting off to find her long lost boyfriend, instead of being here for her daughters! What are we supposed to do now? What kind of a mother are you?” Nicole had been stunned in her place, silent tears slowly rolling down over her cheekbones and making their way down the length of her face. Wynonna collapsed onto her knees and began to cry angrily, hugging her arms around her stomach and holding onto herself as if she would fall apart otherwise.

One the shock began to wear off, Nicole slowly maneuvered her way towards the trembling woman and wrapped her arms around her upper torso. Wynonna visibly tensed at the initial sudden contact, but she soon lost the battle against her own stubbornness and her body went near limp, slinking against the ginger officer’s body frame heavily as saltwater rivers streamed from her eyes. Nicole was unsure she’d ever seen the Earp heir in such a state of dismay, though even in such a position she couldn’t say she was surprised. She couldn’t help but let her mind wander to thinking about how many years of baggage that had been constantly shoved into a space that wasn’t big enough were now clawing their way out from within the shadows.

Maybe an hour had passed by the time the sobs had been reduced to hiccups and sniffling, or maybe it had only been 15 minutes. Time was no longer a factor of importance. Wynonna was the one to break the contact and pull away, scooting backwards a bit and wiping furiously at the corners of her bloodshot eyes. Nicole didn’t attempt to stop her but she stayed right where she was, ready for whatever may happen next, be it another round of tears or not. Eventually even the hiccups ran their course and the sniffling became no more severe than a slightly uneven breathing pattern. Wynonna looked up to make eye contact with the woman sitting across from her, then without warning she pulled the officer into a firm hug.

“Thank you... I really needed that. Now go. Someone else needs you too. She’s upstairs,” the voice was so quiet in Nicole’s ear that she was scarcely sure she heard it, but once they pulled back from the embrace she saw Wynonna looking at her expectantly. She nodded and the two women helped each other to their feet, lingering in their positions for a few moments. Eventually the brunette reached up and squeezed Nicole on the shoulder reassuringly, then walked past her to the dimly lit kitchen where she proceeded to pour herself a glass of water. The ginger watched her just until she was sure that the older woman was steady on her own two feet, and when she was satisfied she turned her body towards the stairs.

Every tiny squeak and groan of the wooden stairs beneath Nicole’s feet made her want to turn around and go back, unsure if she was physically capable of seeing her girlfriend in anywhere near the amount of pain the older of the Earp siblings was in, but the thought of leaving Waverly to suffer while she was likely in a worse state than her sister made the idea of turning back twice as difficult as continuing up the stairs. The familiar walk down the hallway corridor seemed to stretch on longer than usual, but by the time she reached the last bedroom Nicole immediately began to panic about if she was ready to see what was on the other side of the door.

The door itself was slightly ajar but she knocked anyway, pushing it open just a tad bit more, so she could allow herself just enough room to see into the bedroom. It was completely dark inside, only receiving any source of light through a few beams of moonlight pouring in through the window. It was just enough illumination to allow Nicole to make out a small, familiar body lying in the middle of the bed, covered in a pile of thick blankets and surrounded by enough tissues to form a nest around her. Waverly made no movement indicating a response to the knock and it was unclear whether she was even awake, so the officer chanced pushing the door open a little bit more, then paused and waited.

When Waverly still didn’t move, Nicole felt fairly confident that she was sleeping, so she pushed the door open wide enough to step inside and carefully maneuvered her way across the sensitive wooden floor of the bedroom, having taught herself a specific pathway through the room that avoided stepping on any of the loose boards. It was mostly to avoid waking her girlfriend up in the morning on the days she slept at the homestead and had to get up early for work, but it definitely served a worthy purpose now as well. Once she had reached the edge of the bed, Nicole stopped at the sight of the brunette’s sleeping form just to take a moment to admire her. Despite her tear-stained cheeks, swollen lips, and a tangled mess of hair partially covering her face, she still appeared absolutely flawless. Even in sleep, her movements were graceful.

The soft, rhythmic pattern in the rise and fall of her chest with every breath, the endearing way her bottom lip poked out in just the slightest pout, her eyes fluttering the tiniest bit as a sign that she was dreaming. If this was how she got to spend the rest of her life, just being permitted to admire the brunette angel in her sleep, she wouldn’t even think of complaining. In that one single moment, Nicole realized that she had fallen more in love with Waverly than she thought was physically possible, and she couldn’t imagine thinking that there was a single thing on earth that was worth being somewhere else. Peaceful and content as she was however, she could feel an equally intense burning sensation in her chest, and it took her a moment to realize that it was pure, raw disdain for Michelle.

How that woman believed that anything was more important than being there for her children after not seeing them in years, how she thought that there was more satisfaction to find in any relationship than there was in being the proud mother two incredible and powerful daughters, how she could live with herself for choosing to abandon them a second time and leaving them in a state of shambles, it was all beyond Nicole. Here were two of the most resilient people she had ever met in her entire life, both forced to endure countless hardships most others would never be able to overcome, and yet what broke them was something as simple as walking away. They’d been given false hope that they'd gotten their mom back, and she left them with nothing but broken hearts.

Doing her best not to think about it, Nicole set about keeping herself busy by cleaning up the tissues on Waverly’s bed. It wasn’t until the last few tissues that she felt the shorter woman stirring beneath her, and she pulled back quickly after grabbing the last ones. She’d hope the younger Earp sister would roll over and fall back asleep, but instead she let out a groan of discomfort and her eyelids fluttered open slowly. Nicole set the tissues down on the dresser nearby and knelt down so she was at eye-level. Waverly seemed surprised at the officer’s presence, but not so much that she felt the need to react beyond a puzzled expression. The ginger woman’s hand found its way to the side of her girlfriend’s head, and she carefully brushed a few strands of loose hair away from her hazel-green eyes.

“You know?” Waverly asked after a few moments had passed, to which Nicole’s eyes saddened and she nodded dishearteningly, moving her hand down to squeeze the smaller woman’s shoulder gently. The angel nodded and for a brief moment she seemed to lose herself in thought. When she seemed to snap out of it, she wasted no time in shuffling back a bit and loosely tugging on Nicole’s hand to request that she lay down with her. The auburn haired woman obliged without question, slipping easily under the covers and allowing Waverly to curl up into her side to find a comfortable position. It didn’t take long for the tears to start, and Nicole was quick to pull the brunette close and hold her comfortingly.

“Hey... Shh, it’s okay... I’m here... I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere,” the officer promised firmly. It didn’t seem to do much in the way of stopping the crying, but she needed Waverly to know that she was there to stay regardless. The younger Earp girl calmed down much sooner than Wynonna had, though maybe that was simply because she’d cried herself out earlier, but once she seemed to have collected herself some she pulled away. She didn’t say anything as she moved, she simply sat up and learned over to the other side of the bed before reaching down and grabbing what appeared to be an envelope.

”I don’t really think of her as my mom... I... I don’t think I’ve _ever_ had a mom,” Waverly’s voice was distant as stared at the envelope. She hesitated for just a moment longer, then handed it to Nicole and curled into the officer’s tall frame. With one arm secured tightly around Waverly’s waist it was a bit difficult to open the envelope at first, but eventually she managed to pull the letter out and set the envelope aside. Staring her in the face was what appeared to be a letter scribbled out in pen.

She felt a bit uncomfortable at first reading something specifically addressed to Waverly, especially when it was left for her by her mother, but the brunette in her arms hadn’t moved since she handed it over and she seemed to want the officer to read it. She took a few moments to drown out her mind telling her that she was invading someone else’s privacy, then took a deep breath and began to read silently to herself.

“ _Waverly_ ,

 _I_ _love_ _you_ _so_ _much_ _and_ _I’m_ _forever_ _grateful_ _for_ _you_ _two_ _freeing_ _me_ _from_ _that_ _demon_ _and_ _bringing_ _me_ _into_ _your_ _lives_ _but_ _it’s_ _time_ _to_ _go_ _babygirl_. _This_ _is_ _not_ _about_ _you_ _or_ _your_ _sister_ , _it’s_ _about_ _me_. _And_ _your_ _daddy_. _John_ _Henry_ _shared_ _some_ _wise_ _words_ _with_ _me_ _today_ _suggesting_ _I_ _leave_ _you_ _girls_. _You’re_ _doing_ _a_ _fine_ _job_ _here_ _in_ _Purgatory_ _and I need to find Julian. I think he’s out there and I’ve got to find him again. He makes me happy. You understand._

_You are the smartest, bravest woman that I know, and I’m so proud of the way you’ve turned out. I’m sorry I’ve missed out on all these years with you but you’ve turned out into a fine young woman anyways. You and your sister make me so proud every day. Don’t forget that._

_I thought it was best I left without saying goodbye. It’ll be easier on you this way. Love you always,_

_Mama.”_

Nicole read the letter at least three times in a row before setting the paper down to contemplate the information she’d just received. As angry as she wanted to be with Michelle for leaving behind such a simple letter, she supposed there wasn’t much more she could’ve said. Whether she truly wanted to know who her daughters were or not, in the time that she had spent with them there probably hadn’t been a substantial amount of time they could set aside and engage in any deep conversations. Even if she had tried to find out during her short presence, there were still so many things Michelle didn’t know about her daughters, where as she probably knew everything there was to know about Julian.

Maybe that was the reason behind why leaving wasn’t as hard for Michelle. So far, she had only been thinking about walking away and leaving for good from the perspective of Waverly’s girlfriend and a close friend of Wynonna. She had spent nights at the homestead in the living room with the two sisters while they watched movies or tv shows, played board/video games, and worked for hours on research about BBD or different creatures. She had spent countless nights in bed with Waverly where they would talk for hours, and played stupid games or gotten into petty arguments with Wynonna that always ended in laughter. And it wasn’t just the Earp’s either. Everyone she now considered family was in Purgatory with her.

She was there the night Jeremy and Waverly discovered their mutual passion and competitive attitude regarding Dance Dance Revolution and they spent 4 straight hours dance battling while she watched from the sides with Wynonna and Doc, all of them crying from laughter. One day she had planned to go practice at the shooting range for work but something came up and they had to reschedule, so Doc set up a makeshift shooting range for her and they spent the afternoon competing to see who was a better shot. And then there was Nedley, the man who had watched over her since she was just a kid, who had brought her back to the place she would come to know as home, and who was nothing short of a father to her.

But Michelle didn’t have all that, not with her girls. She didn’t have connections to her daughters or their social group in the same way. And her being in their lives didn’t change anything about their abilities. Maybe that’s why she wasn’t worried. Waverly and Wynonna went through their whole lives without their mom, and they made something of themselves without her. Her being in their lives didn’t teach them any sort of valuable lesson or allow them to experience things they hadn’t already. And her leaving didn’t take anything away, because everything that made them great was because of the things they did on their own.

Nicole couldn’t deny that she felt no connection whatsoever to her birth parents, because they hadn’t raised her. They didn’t teach her right from wrong, they didn’t help her take her first steps, they weren’t the ones who caught her when she fell and helped her back on her feet. Even having not seen them for a few years at that point, she didn’t miss them. She rarely- If ever- Even thought about them, and she’d known them her whole life. And yet, it hadn’t even been a year since she’d been in Purgatory, but for Nicole this was home. This was her town, and these people were her family, even if they hadn’t been all her life.

And maybe it was the same for Michelle. Even if Julian hadn’t been part of her entire life, he was her home. He was the family she had found. Of course she loved her daughters, and she always would, but they never needed her before to become who they were, and they didn’t need her showing up after all the years of growing up without her. Maybe leaving was the only thing Michelle felt she _could_  do, so as not to interfere with the paths Waverly and Wynonna had carved for themselves.

Of course, it was also up to Waverly and Wynonna to decide how they felt about their mother. Whether or not the Earp sisters would understand why Michelle had left was debatable, but at least for the time being they deserved to grieve, and Nicole wasn’t going to interfere by trying to rationalize anything, at least not yet. At this point Waverly had fallen asleep curled into her side, and she leaned down to press a protective kiss against her temple while tightening her arm around the sleeping angel ever so slightly. She wasn’t tired yet, but she allowed herself to close her eyes and try to relax while her thoughts ran rampant in her head. It wasn’t until she felt the bed dip beside her that she was suddenly startled back into reality, where she looked over quickly to see Wynonna climbing into bed next to her.

”I... I didn’t want to... To be alone right now,” she explained in a timid, doubtful voice that Nicole had never heard the typically dominant and overtly confident gunslinger use before, but she could see how distraught Wynonna was inside so she didn’t protest. Being careful not to disturb Waverly’s sleeping form, Nicole carefully moved over to allow ample room for the three of them. The darker haired brunette shuffled beneath the sheets until she was comfortable, then reached over and placed a protective hand on Waverly’s shoulder.

”Thanks Haught, for listening. Michelle hasn’t been here for most of our lives anyway, it probably wouldn’t have worked out,” she mumbled with her eyes already closed. She didn’t move again, and though Nicole was unsure if she was really asleep she didn’t dare move or make noise to test it. Instead she laid in bed staring at the ceiling, with the two most important people to her in the world on either side of her. It was obvious they were both upset and battling with some old feelings that were buried long ago, but they both also seemed to understand that Michelle didn’t know who they were and they’d gotten through everything else in their life without her.

Now that she had a chance to really think about it, if Nicole’s birth parents were to suddenly welcome her into their lives and ask her to stay with them, she wouldn’t think twice about leaving to be with her true family. And she wasn’t sure she’d stick around to say goodbye either. She felt no doubt in labeling Purgatory as her home or the disorganized, misfit, demon-fighting crew she associated with as her family, and realized her birth parents stopped being her “family” long ago, maybe even before she’d left home. She hadn’t lost a family, she’d lost people who were related to her through blood and yet knew almost nothing about her. The Earp sister’s hadn’t lost a mom, they’d lost the woman who gave birth to them but hadn’t been in their lives since they were kids.

So Nicole had found the father she’d always wanted, and so Waverly and Wynonna had lost the mother they’d always needed. Perhaps at some point, they had all lost their connection with someone, but maybe what they found was a connection not pre-determined by blood, but established through genuine love for one another.

Maybe what they found wasn’t what they once had lost, but was instead the family that they’d never had before.


End file.
